PROTESTERS have stepped up their campaign to stop a sex shop opening near a church in Crewe town centre.

Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council has been inundated with objections to a 'sleaze store' in Market Street.

Furious families say the proposed outlet would be 'totally inappropriate' so close to Christ Church, the Christadelphian Hall, Salvation Army, and respectable shops on a main route into Crewe.

Businessman Christopher Hulme, of Paris Avenue in Newcastle-under-Lyme, has asked the authority for a licence to trade from the former jewellery shop from 10am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.

His application has angered church leaders and traders in Crewe. They say the outlet would give Crewe a 'down-market image' when there is already a sex shop trading a short distance away in Edleston Road.

The Rev Rob Wykes, of Crewe Christian Concern, said: 'I have stood on the corner and carried out a survey which I will present to the council.

'Basically, in a 45-minute period on Saturday, I counted 472 people walking past that shop, 156 of whom were children.

'Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council have got a community plan which they say aims to make the area safe for children to grow and develop. Then smack in the centre we are putting a shop which has no other reason but to profit out of selling R18 videos.'

The authority has received more than 40 letters of objection.

One protester said: 'The town centre is for the people of Crewe, not for outsiders just wishing to make big profits from peddling immorality.'

Churchgoer Peter Powell, of West Street Baptist Church, plans to speak on behalf of objectors at Tuesday's licensing committee.

Mr Hulme has been approached several times by the Chronicle for a comment.

His father, William Hulme, said: 'I don't think it has anything to do with your paper.'